Vitamin C or E Supplementation Ameliorates Nigerian Bonny Light Crude Oil-Induced Erythrocyte Haemolysis in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Exposure to Nigerian Bonny Light crude oil contamination may lead to disruption and interference with the physiology of biological membranes leading to disease conditions. The paucity of information on the influence of oral ingestion of Nigerian Bonny Light Crude Oil (NBLCO) and antioxidant vitamin supplementation on the erythrocyte membrane necessitated this study. Forty male Wistar rats (150 - 165g body weight) were divided into four groups of 10 rats each. Group I served as control and was gavaged 6ml/kg normal saline, group II was gavaged 6ml/kg NBLCO. Groups III and IV were in addition to 6ml/kg of NBLCO supplemented with 1mg/kg and 9mg/kg of vitamin C or E respectively. The results show that the median corpuscular fragility (MCF) was significantly higher (p<0.001) in NBLCO group. The MCF of vitamin supplemented groups were significantly higher (p<0.001) than control but significantly lower (p<0.05) than NBLCO group, the instability index for NBLCO group was significantly higher than control (p<0.001). Vitamin supplementation significantly (p<0.05) lowered the instability index when compared to NBLCO group, but were significantly higher (p<0.001) than control. The NBLCO significantly reduced (p<0.001) erythrocyte parameters which were significantly (p<0.01) reversed by vitamin supplementation. It is concluded that NBLCO is harmful to erythrocyte membrane, causing haemolysis accounting for its anaemic potentials. Interestingly, these effects can be ameliorated by antioxidant vitamin supplementation.